There are some simple truths in life which are extremely unpalatable to some people.  These truths have been proven over the centuries as leading to better adjusted individuals, a stronger society, increased wealth, and less violence.  They include such concepts as:

• Get an education.
• Get married.
• Do not have children before you are married.
• A child needs both a mother and a father.

Somehow, despite the failures of societies which ignore these rules, there are those who preach that “this time it will be different”.  It never is, but there is not much that you can do with slow learners who are “believers”.

Another group which tends to ignore reality is called the “bleeding heart brigade”.  They truly want to help people, but just want to take the clean sanitary way of throwing money at a problem in the belief that money in itself can solve a problem.  A prime example of this was the “Great Society” movement during the 1960’s, when poverty was thought to be an outcome a lack of income.  The result of that movement, which has cost the taxpayers of the United States over twenty trillion dollars, was the break up of the traditional Black family, a higher crime rate, a decrease in house ownership in the Black population, etc..  Do not forget that it has also come with another price, a permanent welfare bureaucracy at the Federal, state, and local level with a vested interest in self-preservation.

The link to the article by Steven Malanga points out how past policies have led to a debasement of life in the Black community.  At some point we have to realize that the failed policies of the past have helped to ruin the opportunities for millions of our citizens.  That is not only a financial failure, it is a moral failure and one which cannot be hidden by new programs based on the same policies which have been proven to be worse than worthless; they are criminal.  We see not that poverty is not merely a matter of money, but it is also a failure of recognizing the value of the individual and destroying that individual’s belief in themselves.  It is time for a change.

https://www.city-journal.org/marriage-then-mortgage

This is a book of survival, of innocence, foolishness and bravery as a class of people finds itself suddenly outcasts from those that they had exploited for hundreds of years.  In the chaos of the Russian revolution, even before the seizure of power by Lenin, the very ground beneath a once powerful class was shifting and no one had any idea what the outcome of those movements would be.

For powerful aristocratic families (some who had owned up to 500,000 serfs) and for the poorest of the aristocrats, their world with it’s table of titles and addresses, it’s position above the law and its belief in the Czar would all be lost, almost without a whimper.   They would suddenly find themselves thrown out of their houses and palaces, their valuables seized by the State and thrown onto resources that most of them had never dreamed they possessed.  Despised as useless exploiters, they were often hunted down and shot or hung (if they were fortunate in their manner of death), while they tried to keep their families together often during a time when they were fleeing from town to town to stay ahead of the Red Terror.  Throw into this mix the chaos caused by the Russian Civil War and it is easy to see how literally hundreds of thousands of “aristocrats” (a term used for the highest to the poorest of the species) were destroyed. 

Some aristocrats decided to join the White armies, others believing that Russia needed to be purged, joined the Reds.  If they had joined the Reds, it was no ticket to survival for they were always viewed as a danger to the new Soviet state.  With the coming of the purges under Stalin, they were singled out after having led quiet lives for years, often in the service of the State; suddenly once again they were denounced and hunted, shipped to Siberia or executed.   Even their children were targeted as the stain of the exploiters was believed to be passed on from mother and father to son and daughter.

In the end, ancient families who had served the Czarist state for better or worse were exterminated.  Some were fortunate to flee to the West, ending up often as door men or waiters in the exile’s haunts. Even there, in France and other countries they could be murdered to sooth the paranoid images of the rulers in Moscow.

One reads this book and may question why the hatred of that class was so strong; everything they possessed or stood for was either destroyed or mocked and held up as an example of that classes uselessness.  We must remember that for hundreds of years the aristocrats had exploited millions, bought and sold them like so many lumps of coat while living a life of unimagined luxury.  Some aristocrats tried and did contribute to society, but they were a small handful against a tide of greed and cruelty.  And so, they died, hunted and hated and because of their past sins, and millions more would have to pay a price as a bold new world was created which was more corrupt and crueler than what they had destroyed. 

At no time in history has so much effort, expense and legal aid been expended to encourage the freedom of choice and education of girls and women.  In order to insure that women have an equal opportunity at education, Constitutional guarantees have been ignored and specific laws enacted to ensure that females have equal access to all aspects of education including sports.  At every level, we see amazing numbers for females, in terms of numbers of degrees awarded (“58 percent of all B.A.s in the 2019-2020 academic year…at least 60% of all master’s degrees, and 54 percent of all PhD’s”).  There are more women attending universities than males and half of the highest universities according to Forbes have women as presidents. These numbers all point to the feminization of our centers of higher learning. How is it that in a world where two-thirds of college administrators are women, women at those very schools are subjected to a steady stream of rhetoric on victimhood and unsafety while demanding “safe spaces”, calming corners, etc.

We should be seeing the strongest and most confident generation of women to ever stride this planet, yet somehow, we do not hear about the successes of women, instead we hear of the “mental crisis among young people”.  Somehow there is a great amount of fear, depression, anxiety, and emotional volatility by those who should be the best and the brightest.

Added to this list of problems, either real or perceived, are various studies which show that there are major differences between men and women and the value of academic excellence.  Whereas studies show that nearly three-quarters of university males believe that free speech is more important that promoting “an inclusive society”, only about forty percent of women believe that was a positive value; building an inclusive society was viewed as more important than free speech.  In effect, the quest for intellectual clarity and the pursuit of excellence is of little value to the majority of female students.  What does this hold for the future in a world that is increasingly competitive?  Does this mean that an individuals perceptions are of paramount importance in the areas of math, physical science, etc.?  We have heard mandatory oaths administered to medical students that rather than promising to do no harm, demand that a medical treatment take into account a patient’s world view. How does that help to fix a broken arm or ease the pain of a heart attack?

That attached article by Heather Mac Donald should make everyone sit up and realize that there is something very wrong with a system that rather than celebrating the achievements of females, leads them to accept a view of the world and actions which is counter-productive and personally demeaning. The sad fact is that it appears that female administrators are creating a system whose chief victims are other females.

https://www.city-journal.org/the-great-feminization-of-the-american-university

During the twentieth-century, Russia has suffered through two World Wars, a civil war, and numerous famines (both natural and manmade).  The result was a population that suffered upwards of 70-100,000,000 million dead.  This on top of a long history filled with carnage, tyranny and cruelty.  The dead when they could be buried faced a bureaucracy which required numerous forms, not enough cemeteries (in the cities) and waiting times that could often lead to the literal rotting of the dead.  During the siege of Leningrad, the dead were warehoused during the winter as the ground was too frozen to dig and their grave diggers were all dead. Now, in the midst of another war, many of the dead, the Russian soldiers are not buried, they are merely cremated in an effort to hide the true casualities.

How does death on such a scale affect the mind of the average Russian?  Illnesses such as PTSD were denied in the Soviet Union (and later) as a capitalist plot and the average Russian was deemed “too tough” to fall for such capitalist tricks.

The author spent years roaming Russia talking with survivors of the purging of kulaks, victims of the forced collectivization and its famine, survivors of the German invasion, of the purges by Stalin, etc.  How did they cope with seeing starved bodies piled up in the streets, or watch everyone in their village slowly die of starvation? How were they able to lead seemingly “normal” lives and how were they able to keep buried their emotions. What impact does that have on the development of the survivors, their children and the society?

What comes out of the book are stories of great human strength, of tragedy and the realization that the average Russian who lived through those terrible times and experienced the strange world of Communism had a very different mindset so they could survive.  Memories passed on as history die hard and the question that remains is how long will it take for the average Russian to move beyond those memories, that history to a world where they truly believe they have some control over their own destinies. Unfortunately, they appear to being no closer to “normalcy” under the current regime, one in which censorship and strict guidelines for behavior are not that far from those under the old Soviet system.

Did you know that to mine enough minerals to meet the production needs for all the new batteries, windmills, etc. in going “green”, we will need to open hundreds of new mines.  Yet, it takes an average of sixteen years to open a new mine, not one new mine is being proposed and the mining industry is decreasing it’s investments in new mines.  Yet somehow, for all of the gladhanding of our political class and the stary eyed activists, this one fundamental fact, this one overwhelming need is never discussed.

But it does get better.  Suppose through some miracle, the huge investment cost of all the new mines became available, and suppose that the environmentalist did not file hundreds of lawsuits to stop the mines, the fact remains that given the projected need for batteries and the change in the infrastructure, we would exhaust the world’s supply of copper in one year.  And, no, there is no known replacement for copper.

The plans for going “green” also happens to ignore one small fact: the need for energy will only increase.  Before the auto was invented, there was no need for more energy, but once the tires hit the road, the need for energy became apparent.  The same is true for the airplane, the computer, the television, the dishwasher, etc.  Today, the energy needed to operate the “cloud” demands more energy than the entire commercial aircraft fleet of the world.  How much energy will AI require?  Or, is the answer to stop man’s natural instinct to move forward, to find a better way to do a job, to create more opportunities to create a higher standard of living by creating wealth around the world? The poverty rate of the world has decreased due to the availability of greater energy.

The link below to the excellent video of Mark Mills of the Manhattan Project points out those simple facts and many others which show that for all the fuss, fire and proclamations, the current dreams of doing away with fossil fuels is an unreachable dream. Unreachable due to time, costs, mineral availability, and the natural increase in the need for energy as humanity moves forward.  Or is the answer really to move boldly into the fourteenth century as the “green” movement demands?

Much of the history of Japan lives withing a cloud of myth and legend along with a masterful manipulation of reality. This is especially true since the Meiji restoration whn the emperor was taken as the new central figure in Japan.  Suddenly the Emperor, who had traditionally had no power and was controlled by the Shogun was presented figuratively to the population as divine and the central focus of Japanese life.  Yet, the Emperor himself lived in a closed world or court etiquette and political intrigue.

This excellent history tells the story of who was the power behind the throne and of the vast scale of looting conducted by the Japanese during World War II.  Within Imperial Japan, there was a cadre of powerful families, former samurai war lords who controlled the military and the zaibatsu and thus the economy.  By controlling the military and the economy, they were able to work hand in hand with each other to gather enormous riches and unquestioned power, all while creating a cult around a compliant Emperor.

The legalization of marijuana in California has led a surge in murders, assaults, water theft and corruption in several counties of California.  It is estimated that in one northern California county alone, the cartels have generated nearly fifty-billions dollars ($50,000,000,000) of profits, all of which is untaxed and supported by numerous crimes.  The local authorities are outmanned, out gunned and out lawyered by the cartels, yet the problem is entirely ignored by Governor Newsom and the powers that be in Sacramento.

This video helps to reveal the size and scope of the illegal marijuana industry in only one county of California. 

For many on the Left, Sweden is held up as a model of a successful Socialist state, but one can only do that if one is ignorant of the Swedish model of government.  In the late 1990s in response to a looming national debt and a high level of unemployment, a new Swedish government began to move more government functions to local areas and municipalities and to individual efforts, in other words, away from socialism and more toward capitalism.  This revitalized the economy and created a better functioning economy with greater wealth.  The first major challenge to this model occurred with the influx of immigrants who refused to assimilate into a western model of work, individual initiative, etc. Wide spread welfare fraud was found and a rise in violent crimes across the nation tarnished the Swedish model.

Sweden also, like most western nations, began to feel the impact of a falling birthrate among its’ citizens and the traditional Ponzi scheme of social security was called into questions.  The link below outlines how Sweden saved its social security system through a combination of mandatory public and private savings plans.  As predicted, since the reforms of 1994, the average Swede has average a roughly 10% return on their private accounts and the crisis passed.  Although not perfect, it has worked and even the burden of the immigrants has not negatively impacted the social security system.

We can only hope that the politicians in D.C. will act responsibly and not play politics with the very real threat to our social security system.  They may be counting on massive tax increases at the last minute to save the system, but such an impact on the overall economy will be felt across all age groups.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-sweden-saved-social-security-privatization-insolvency-market-brake-risk-contribution-biden-ef1583d3?page=1

Since my favorite wife had to attend a large trade show in Barcelona, I thought I would tag along and extend the trip to Lisbon and Marrakech.  This is a bit of a role reversal for most males I know bring along their wives when they have to travel to a trade show. I also viewed it as a blow for male liberation (not really but I thought it sounded good).  Actually, we have done this a number of times, combine business with pleasure and it is always nice to be together at the end of a long day.

BARCELONA:          

We had been to Barcelona several times; in fact, my first visit was over forty years ago so I had a fair familiarity with the city.  Luckily for us, some wonderful friends of ours from Belgium joined us and their experience with the city really made the trip quite memorable.

There is a major push to make the city a major location for trade shows, but they have a way to go.  While the convention center is large, the surrounding hotels and restaurants are not up to par and there is a major shortage of taxis (and few of the drivers speak passable English, let alone German, etc.).  Waits of 1 ½ hour for a taxi after a show are not unusual and Uber, etc., is not allowed in the city.  While younger people are more conversant with English, there are a large number of immigrants from Asia (many in the food industry) who are not conversant in various languages.  Barcelona is not ready for prime time as a business convention center.  Additionally, the Spanish are a bit more guarded in their approach to strangers.

     No visit is complete without a visit to the Gaudi Cathedral, aka the Sagrada Familia.  Construction started 133 years ago and the goal is for the project to be completed on the one-hundredth anniversary of the death of Gaudi in 2025.  I first saw the Cathedral some forty plus years ago when walking through the cathedral was literally walking through a construction work site. One had to be careful of the scaffolds, workmen pushing wheel-barrels of concrete, electrical wires and other possible methods of harm all while trying to figure out how six foot tall what appeared to be bunches of grapes or other fruit seemed to place helter-skelter about the place.  Today, it is much different, as the beautiful building appears to be nearly complete.  The floors shine, light comes in through magnificent multi-colored stained glass windows and all is in order.  For an extra charge (yes, it costs to enter but it is well worth the experience), you will be whisked up into one of the cathedrals’ towers to get amazing views not only of the city, but also of the details of the spires.  Those huge bunches of grapes are now at the very top of the spires and you cannot help but be amazed at the engineering skill exhibited in the building.  In fact, when the cathedral was first designed by Gaudi, the technology for its construction was in some areas lacking but it is a tribute to true progress that his design has come to fruition.  Be forewarned however, that one must walk down some four hundred steps, many of them on a narrow winding stone staircase within a tower and flanked on your right by the ability to look down the hollow center which ends hundreds of steps below.  Talk about cheap thrills!

Recently in Marrakech I was speaking to an individual from London and we were discussing an upcoming game he wanted to watch (he was an Arsenal fan). I mentioned that the El Phoenicio cigar bar was comfortable and had several large screen televisions which I am sure would be available to view the game.  He had this look on his face and he asked, “what is a cigar bar”.  I explained the concept to him and he was very interested although he did not enjoy the pleasures of a good cigar. I provided the address and his problem of where in the city to watch the game was settled.

Actually, El Phoenicio is in the new section of Marrakech at 6 Rue Hafid Ibrahim.  It is a comfortable establishment with a good selection of cigars at reasonable prices.  The Davidoff Escurio Gran Toro was about $30 while the Camacho Ecuador checked in at $15.  Unfortunately, there were no Cuban cigars as there seems to be a bit of a shortage in Morocco, Portugal and Spain.  But, the staff was helpful and courteous and we were welcomed to enjoy our pick in one of the seating areas in the well lit central area.  There was a good selection of liquors and a food list that was reasonable.  Unlike in the Medina (the old city) there was no attempt to hustle for more drinks or food so I was able to enjoy an excellent cigar in a zone of quiet which is rare in Marrakech.  It fortified me enough for me to walk the mile and a half back to the beautiful Riad Noir d’Ivoire my wife and I were staying.  Two comfortable and oases of calm in a whirlwind city.